Sauerland-Express

The service runs between Hagen and Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe every two hours and between Warburg and Hagen additional services produce an hourly service. The services to and from Kassel use electric multiple units of class 612 (RegioSwinger) while those on the cycle turning back at Warburg use class 628.4 sets.{{cite web|url=http://nrwbahnarchiv.bplaced.net/linien/RE17.htm| title=RE17: Sauerland-Express | work=NRW rail archive|publisher= André Joost |language=German | accessdate= 7 August 2013}} On Fridays and Sundays, some special services run to Willingen. The Fröndenberg–Bestwig section is also supplemented with an hourly service of the RE 57 (the Dortmund-Sauerland-Express), which continues to Winterberg.

Until the timetable change in December 2023, some train pairs ran to {{stn|Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe}}. On the section between Warburg and Kassel, the RE 17 alternated with the Rhein-Hellweg-Express (RE 11) On the section between Warburg and Kassel, the RE 17 has only stopped in Hofgeismar since the timetable change on 15 December 2013, which also omitted a stop at Kassel Hauptbahnhof. This shortened the journey time to and from Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe by up to 13 minutes.{{cite press release| publisher = Nahverkehr Westfalen-Lippe (NWL) | accessdate= 25 December 2013 | url = http://www.nwl-info.de/aktuelles/pressemitteilungen/2013/07/18/angebotsverbesserungen.php#sprungmarke-7 | date = 18 July 2013 | title = NWL-Verbandsversammlung beschließt Angebotsverbesserungen für 2014 |language=de}}

Earlier the RE 17 was operated with Class 218 locomotives hauling three to six Silberling carriages together with class 624 diesel multiple units. The Warburg cycles were changed in the mid-1990s to class 628.4 DMUs. From the beginning of the 21st century, the locomotive-hauled trains on the Kassel cycles were replaced by class 612 (RegioSwinger) DMUs. Individual services to Willingen were operated with trains hauled by class 218 locomotives until 2006. From December 2016, class 644 sets were used alongside the class 612 sets.{{cite press release | url = http://www.deutschebahn.com/presse/duesseldorf/de/aktuell/presseinformationen/12874664 | publisher = Deutsche Bahn | date = 6 December 2016 | title = Ab 11. Dezember: Optimierte Anschlüsse und erweiterte Angebote im "Neuen Sauerland-Netz" | accessdate = 31 January 2017 | language = de | url-status = dead | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20161211014923/http://www.deutschebahn.com/presse/duesseldorf/de/aktuell/presseinformationen/12874664 | archivedate = 11 December 2016 }} Class 633 diesel multiple units now run here.

The contract for the operation of the Sauerland-Express from 2016 as part of the Sauerland network was let to DB Regio.{{cite journal |url=http://ted.europa.eu/udl?uri=TED:NOTICE:319330-2012:TEXT:DE:HTML | title= Deutschland-Frankfurt am Main: Bauarbeiten für Eisenbahnlinien |issue= 2016/S 080-142881 |date= 9 October 2012 |journal=Tenders Electronic Daily |accessdate=31 January 2017|language=de}} The rolling stock now used,{{cite press release |url= http://www.nwl-info.de/aktuelles/pressemitteilungen/2016/02/05/dbregio-nrw_erarbeitet_umfangreiches_ersatzkonzept.php |publisher= Nahverkehr Westfalen-Lippe (NWL) |title= Vor Betriebsstart Ende 2016: DB Regio NRW erarbeitet umfangreiches Ersatzkonzept fürs "Neue Sauerlandnetz" | date = 5 February 2016 |accessdate=31 January 2017 |language=de}} are DMUs of the Link type (II or III) from the Polish manufacturer Pesa SA.{{cite press release |url= http://www.zrl.de/aktuelles/pressemitteilungen/2013/05.09.2013-rb-regio-ag-verteidigt-sauerland-netz.php |date= 5 September 2013 |title= DB Regio AG verteidigt Sauerland-Netz: Ausschreibung von Regionalbahn-Linien im Sauerland-Netz ist entschieden |publisher= Zweckverband Ruhr-Lippe |accessdate= 31 January 2017 |language=de}} The new trains for the Sauerland network were only available from December 2018. The delivery delay was bridged by replacement rolling stock.{{cite web |url=http://zvis.vrr.de/bi/getfile.asp?id=22902&type=do& |publisher=VRR |title= Beschlussvorlage, Betriebsaufnahmen und verkehrliche Änderungen im SPNV zum Fahrplanwechsel Dezember 2016 |date= 11 November 2016 | accessdate=31 January 2017|language=de}} Most of the operations of the Sauerland-Express between Warburg and Kassel were abandoned during this process, this form of transport instead being provided by extending the RE 11 "Rhein-Hellweg-Express" (Düsseldorf – Duisburg – Dortmund – Hamm – Paderborn – Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe).

The line operates from Hagen to Schwerte on the Hagen–Hamm railway and from Schwerte to Warburg on the Upper Ruhr Valley Railway. In Warburg it changes to the Frederick William Northern Railway, also known as the Hessische Nordbahn (Hessian Northern Railway).

{{Reflist}}

• List of regional rail lines in North Rhine-Westphalia

Category:Rail services in North Rhine-Westphalia